A stitch in time
YOUR STITCH GUIDE
PINEAPPLE EMBROIDERY
Gather your supplies
• Masking tape
• Light-coloured fabric (embroidery linen is ideal), 23cm square
• Soft, sharp pencil
• 15cm embroidery hoop
• DMC stranded cotton, one skein each in Teak Brown 898 (1), Saffron Orange 900 (2), Orange 740 (3), Medium Autumn Gold 3854 (4), Sunlight Yellow 725 (5), Cactus Green 580 (6), Apple Green 906 (7), Very Dark Forest Green 986 (8), Granny Smith Green 907 (9)
• Tapestry needle
Here’s how
STEP 1 Using masking tape, fix the enlarged template to a well-lit window with the fabric centred and taped on top. Lightly trace the lines using the pencil – the marks will be covered as you work. The numbers are for colour reference only and don’t need to be copied onto the fabric. Remove the fabric from the window and sketch a vertical line down the centre of each leaf, from the tip to the base.
STEP 2 Centre the fabric in the hoop and tighten the screw so the fabric is taut. Starting with colour 1, cut a piece of thread 45cm long. Satin stitch, which you’ll be using on the lower half of the pineapple, requires all 6 strands of the thread for a chunkier finish.
STEP 3 Stitches are made horizontally, working from bottom to top for an upright triangle or top to bottom for inverted triangles. Starting on one side of the triangle, bring the needle up through the fabric.
STEP 4 Bring the needle down through the fabric on the other side of the triangle to make the first stitch. As this example is an inverted triangle, subsequent stitches will be below the first, decreasing in length as the shape narrows.
Bring the needle up next to the point where you began and back down on the opposite side next to the previous exit
